SE0754 : Dales Way trek from Bolton Abbey to Pinder Stile (3)
taken 10 years ago, near to Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire, England
In which two middle-aged school friends and their youthful companion, who by some Dr Who type trickery was in the same class as them at said school, head out from Bolton Abbey past The Strid, up to Barden, along the Wharfe to Burnsall, on to Grassington and finally across tough terrain to Pinder Stile, where we came off the path and down into Conistone.
A 78 mile long walk from Ilkley to Bowness.
The Dales Way mainly follows attractive dales through the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Howgill Fells and the south-eastern part of the Lake District. From Ilkley it heads along Wharfedale passing Bolton Abbey, the Strid, Grassington and Buckden before crossing Cam Fell and the Pennine Way National Trail to descend to Dentdale. From here, the River Dee is followed to Sedbergh, then the Lune to the Crook of Lune. The Way crosses farmland to reach Burneside and the River Kent, which is traced for several miles before the path branches off to the finish.
There are three Dales Way Link routes from cities nearby: from Leeds (Leeds - Dales Way, 19 miles, on OS maps) and Bradford/Shipley (Shipley - Dales Way, 8 miles, on OS maps), also now with a Bradford - Shipley link, 3 miles, and from Harrogate (Harrogate - Dales Way, 20 miles)
The River Wharfe is a major Yorkshire River. It is 97 miles long. It rises in Langstrathdale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park and flows south then east to join the River Ouse at Cawood. It is navigable as far as Tadcaster.
Wikipedia: Link
Bolton Abbey is an estate in Wharfedale in North Yorkshire, which takes its name from the ruined 12th-century Augustinian monastery now generally known as Bolton Priory. It is adjacent to the village of Bolton Abbey. See the Wikipedia entry Link for a more detailed history.
The whole site is listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and St Mary's church (the nave of the old priory, which remains in use as an Anglican parish church) is listed grade 1.